


We Need To Take A Break

by MimiJae



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: I Can't Believe I Wrote This, M/M, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-17
Updated: 2016-03-17
Packaged: 2018-05-27 06:01:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6272656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MimiJae/pseuds/MimiJae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Damen was unsure what Laurent could have meant by 'break', if they did something of the sort in Vere, but it didn't sound very good.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We Need To Take A Break

Each day, Damen awoke and fell asleep with Laurent next to him. He presumed that he knew every one of Laurent's bed habits. The cranky Laurent, the 'right on the edge of consciousness' Laurent, the restless Laurent, the overworked Laurent, the horny Laurent. He mentally noted to rethink the notion when one night, he stirred out of his slumber only to find a curious Laurent staring down at him from directly above. Because Laurent had never done such a thing before, it was unusual the way Laurent appeared without words. 

Damen almost stifled a laugh, for Laurent looked like a perched, blue-eyed owl. It was the kind of look one would get from the first person they've set eyes on, after being knocked unconscious. He passed his hand over his face and groaned into the palm of it. "What is it?" He asked without moving an inch. 

The quick response, "I want to talk," Laurent said, "about your past relationships."

At first, Damen thought to question the situation, he decided against it knowing the answer to the question would be a glare of impending doom. Also too, considering the time, he spared himself. Complying would get him to sleep faster. Though he knew complying could ultimately lead to death as well, depending on what specific information Laurent would request.

"Okay." He said in a drawn out manner, that sounded more like a question rather than a statement. "What would you like to know?" Awkwardly.

"How many lovers have you had?" The question was rather blunt, as was everything else out of Laurent's mouth.

Damen started moving his fingers downward, and counted out loud in Akielon, until he ran out of fingers.

"Would four hands be enough?" Laurent asked.

"Uh- yes." He responded in a clipped tone.

"How many of them did you court?"

That answer was simple, "One." He gave Laurent a look that said, 'Where are you getting at?' -but decided against saying it aloud.

"How did you feel," Laurent asked, "when you courted Jokaste?"

"Honestly?"

Sarcastically, "No. Lie to me."

Damen chuckled with the bass from slumber in his throat. "Alright." He sat up. He came to terms that he wasn't about to go to sleep anytime soon. Laurent was in one of his strange moods.

"At first I was attracted to her appearance. She came on to me. Then, I stopped fucking other women."

Laurent eyed Damen in earnest not flinching at the revelations.

Damen went on to tell Laurent all that happened over the course of the relationship. Damen made Laurent laugh when he did his best Nikandros impersonation, around the enslavement part of the story. Laurent inserted a few small questions now and then, nothing too unrelated from the topic of discussion. He expressed how he felt about Jokaste in detail, though, he knew that could come back to bite him in the ass. 

Laurent was very attentive as he journeyed with Damen on the emotional recalling of the events. He laughed when something funny happened in the story. When something bad happened, his facial features shifted, his eyebrows were sullen. He had a determined look on his face when Damen was angry about something. It seemed Damen had a few rhetorical questions. Laurent provided the best feedback possible. 

But then, when all the feedback was given, when all the emotions were spent, Laurent asked in a particularly uncharacteristic tone, "Is it the same with me?"

At some point, they both rested back on their silk-sheeted, extra-feathered pillows. Damen's ear was to Laurent's chest. His arm was heavy across Laurent's stomach.

"It is very different from you." Damen said.

It was the last real conversation he had with the king of Vere, before the strange behavior that followed it.

Laurent behaved like a whimsical woman. At meetings they would speak tactically, anywhere else they would not speak at all. Laurent would occupy his time with reading, horseback riding, or gardening. When he returned to bed, if he returned to bed, Damen would be long asleep. He snubbed any attempt of conversation off with attitude. Jord, Lazar, nor Paschal could shed any light on the matter. Damen was so close to asking Laurent himself until he realized that he was the only one receiving such treatment.

He realized a month later, then exhausted from sparing with Nikandros.

"I hear the king Laurent is an excellent rider." Nikandros remarked.

"He is. You've ridden with us. You have seen."

"That's not what I meant." Said Nikandros while laying supine on the floor, he turned only his head to glance smugly at Damianos.

Damen chuckled. It took him but a moment to figure out. "Wouldn't you like to know? 'Satisfy your curiosity. Then, when you have seen that mounting one blond is much like mounting another, move on.' Is that not what you said to me?"

"I did say that, but that was before I knew him."

"Right."

"So?"

"He is an excellent rider." Damen blushed. "When I get him to relax, it's even better." He let his voice trail off in such a way to leave one wondering.

Nikandros distracted Damen to ask about the more pressing issue. "What happened, Damen? The rumors are beginning again. _'The ice prince of Vere has returned,'_ they say. How did you make him angry this time?"

"I did not do anything. He is managing his troubles internally, most likely."

"They've noticed his behavior towards you. Testy and cold. And the way you respond... they assume you're undeserving of him. Assume you're soft. Some soldiers are bold enough to attempt to take your place in his bed."

There was a question Damen asked himself every night for the past month. Why? He didn't want to come to terms with the fact that he was losing Laurent. It was humorlessly amusing, Damen thought it a sign Laurent's behavior happening suddenly.

His beautiful prince began to recluse. 

Damen held off on initiating sex. If Laurent wanted it, he would take it. Nothing was being taken.

"He hardly sleeps In the palace. When he does, he doesn't sleep next to me." Pain manifested physically onto Damen's face.

"I hear Makedon is informed on his whereabouts during those times."

"Makedon?" Damen searched his mind for the answer. 

"You should ask Laurent."

"I have been too chicken to ask."

Nikandros laughed. "The mighty Damianos of Akielos. Never scared of a battle, but scared of his lover." He joked. "I'll tell you what brother, I'll have one of my men to find out for you."

"I should be able to ask him tonight. He is in the palace. I will find out by talking to him sensibly."

Nikandros laughed and threw his hand up as if surrendering. 

Damen walked anxiously down the corridors back to his chambers with various unfortunate assumptions in mind. Are you happy with me? Is this fixable? Do you wish to return to your homeland? Every outcome ended with Damen watching Laurent's back as he rode away to Vere. 

When Damen returned to their bedroom, he found Laurent waiting for him on the bed, like he often did when he wanted something, this time in riding leathers and boots. Damen walked steadfast, but paused when he locked onto his lovers gaze.

Laurent held his seat. His arms stretched outward from his body. He was relaxed. His eyes seduced Damianos. They were intoxicating but Damen couldn't read them. Laurent stood and paced towards the door, adjusting his riding gloves.

"We need to take a break." Laurent said simply.

There it was. Damen was unsure what Laurent could have meant by _'break'_ , if they did something of the sort in Vere, but it didn't sound very good. It sounded, to Damen, like a half-baked excuse for Laurent trying to leave him.

"No." He found himself responding forcefully, almost instructing Laurent in a way that didn't allow for protesting.

"Well I need to take a break."

"What kind of break?"

"I need to be alone."

"For what reason?" He turned around for Laurent had passed him for the door. He was sullen that his assumptions were true.

"I need to clear my head."

"Have you been clearing your head for the past month?" Damen said. "We will not have your break. I will not allow it." 

Laurent observed the anger in Damen's eyes. He walked to his lover and put the palm of his hand on Damen's cheek subtly. It was almost as if he himself were searching for an answer in the sea of amber that was Damen's eyes.

"If you care about the welfare of us, you will let me have this." It wasn't a threat. Damen could tell by the tone that it wasn't threatening. Laurent locked eyes with the Akielon king, and said in earnest, _"Trust me."_

Damen heard it and frowned with sadness. He looked like a puppy at Laurent.

"No."

"Damianos..."

"No." This time Damen said, sterner.

Laurent held his ground, challenging the king with only a gaze. Then, something only the king of Vere could accomplish in the entire world, Damen wavered.

"I refuse to do this," Damen huffed, "but you say you need it." He embraced Laurent, and kissed his neck. "Why do you need it? Do you wish to run away from me that badly?"

"I am not running away. You have me." Laurent hugged tighter.

"Say you will return to me in fourteen days. Say it." It had become their mantra, to have each other reassure heavy promises, like at Ravenel.

"I will return to you in fourteen days."

With the promise, they kissed on the lips. Damen savored the feel and the taste as if it were his last. He, in the literal sense, had to pry himself away from Laurent.

One second Laurent was there, the next, he made his exit.

That night, all of ten minutes after the talk, Damen found Nikandros returning from the baths with two of his girls. He waved them off and they retreated to their designated sleeping quarters.

Damen's brow was furrowed with worry. His beautiful face was wrinkled with misunderstanding. He met Nikandros's eyes and asked, "Your man, is he ready tonight?"  
-  
-  
\- 

 

How Laurent cultivated a personal relationship with Makedon was astonishing. Damen was always mindful of all the happenings that surrounded him, so he never felt so out of control such as when he came to find out Laurent was spending his sleepless nights at Makedon's cabin just outside of town. 

By horseback, it took twenty minutes to get outside of town. Once outside of town, it took all of seven minutes to make it to the cabin. Makedon told them about the general whereabouts of the cabin but they were able to get a exact location by following a soldier who admitted to them, Laurent told him to rendezvous there. Two of Laurent's men approached the cabin on different days to obtain letters, the one in question, and another man. They both rode off in the direction opposite of Ios, towards Vere. 

Damen watched from afar the countless of, otherwise boring, hours Laurent would sit on the patio and read or write letters. 

Damen lurked atop of the hill, admist the trees, for hours on end. Which was mostly mid-evening to night time, or until Nikandros came to retrieve him. Laurent's routine was vastly predictable. Had someone else stalked him, they would also have found it easily apparent Laurent's sequence of actions.

A week had snailed by. He found it hard to concentrate during matters of business at the palace. Sleeping was a task as he didn't have Laurent's small but warm frame glued to his backside. He was barraged with profound dreams at night in addition.

His being yearned to be close to Laurent's. All he could hang on to was the few moments he was able to observe the king of Vere. He had his memories, of which were kept on auto-repeat in his mind. 

There were endless scenarios of where he would approach Laurent in the cabin. They all had different reactions.

He felt cowardly and useless. Laurent was hurting, and there was nothing he could do about it. No gift he could buy, no place he could go. Nothing. It was the first time he ever felt reduced to nothing.

The concubines were on high alert since Laurent left. He didn't even want to return to Ios at times. He only wanted to stay and watch the house even if it meant sleeping outside. He was upset when Nikandros came to retrieve him. How dare he look after his oldest friend, and king. 

Every day Nikandros would receive his king saying, "Approach him brother. You're paralyzed with heartache. The men are starting a new set of rumors." And Nikandros would tell him of a new rumor each day. 

"Let them talk," Damen said calmly one day, not once taking his eyes off of Laurent. " _He is mine._ Even now he is mine. And I am his. I will follow him to the ends of the world. He will never escape me." He allowed for a couple of moments of silence to pass between them both. "Do you understand how I feel, brother?"

Nikandros frowned. "Yes. I understand." He said. 

But tonight was the night. The two week mark. Damen had paced, and worried, and starved. He deprived himself of sleep, escaped kingly duties, ridden thirty minutes back and forth each day for fourteen days, and now it was finally happening. He wanted to see when exactly Laurent would leave to return to the palace. Unfortunately, time would not stop for Laurent and it soon became dark outside. Every hour Damen's heart would break a little more. Laurent hadn't come out at all this day. _Was he ever planning on coming out?_

"Let's head back." He heard suddenly Nikandros from behind him. "There's a big storm coming." 

Damen gazed up at the endless grayish sky. He vaguely remembered hearing the thunder, but his attention wasn't centered on it.

"Thirty more minutes." Damen would say. Then, thirty minutes would pass and he'd ask for another, and another. Until soon, he felt light raindrops on his cheek.

"Fine." He told Nikandros, and he was cross.

As they galloped away, the rain had become more persistent but it wasn't yet a thunder storm.

Damen felt his heart lurch in his chest. He thought of all that they had gone through together. He recounted their entire relationship, the lies, the lovemaking, the happiness, all condensed in the five minutes of which he had ridden with Nikandros. He came to a startling conclusion.

"I'm going back." Damen said. And with that, he whipped his horse around, and rode away.

On the way back, he attempted to compose himself so that he could approach his lover with understanding. It was the first time anything of the sort had ever taken place with a companion. He was unsure as to how to come off to make Laurent reply to him in a favorable way. While trying to plan everything, when he saw the front door, he came to the realization that some things had to be taken in stride.

Damen burst in suddenly, as the door wasn't barred. What did he expect, for Laurent to run into his arms? For Laurent to tell Damen how much he missed him? For Laurent to be saddled up and ready to go back to the palace? He obtained none of that. At the very least Laurent, on the mattress in front of the fire, sat up and watched as Damen paced forward urgently.

Immediately, something wasn't right. Laurent's cheeks were the color of cherries, his eyes were puffy, and there was a reoccurring sniffle.

"I've come to receive you." Damen dropped to one knee before Laurent and said.

"I assumed that." Laurent turned his head to the side. His voice was groggily distorted. He wasn't at all prepared to leave. Damen wouldn't be surprised if Laurent had planned to stay there another two weeks. 

Laurent's body language was off. Removing Damianos, It was the body language he used with everyone. It wasn't as inviting as it often tended to be. It told the tale of him trying to run away. Damen's biggest fear. 

"Are you ready to come back to me?" Damen asked. He reached for Laurent's chin. He curled his fingers under the point, and lifted Laurent's head. He couldn't understand why Laurent would want to be away from him for so long. "What's ails you, Laurent?" He questioned. He tried to maintain steady eye contact, but Laurent kept throwing his head out of Damen's grasp. "Laurent... _Laurent?_ " He moved to the bed.

There it was, it was horrifying and unplanned. For the first time, it seemed as if Laurent's vast vocabulary disappeared. His throat was taut like a tight rope. He gazed downward, his hair covering his face.

They were first apparent by landing on his white pants darkening random spots, the tears.

Damen's hear raced. It worried him because Laurent never cried. His body acted on its own as he tucked the part of Laurent's hair, that was hiding his face, behind his ear.

"Laurent." He crooned. He steady tried to establish some eye contact, but Laurent wasn't allowing it. He yanked away, but didn't have the strength to completely remove himself from Damen's presence. Deep down, he acknowledged Damen was oddly comforting in his pushiness.

"Don't you understand?" Laurent asked. At last, the crying face revealed itself fully. _"I let it happen."_ His voice was shaky with hurt. After a moment he broke down completely. The silent cry you do in front of others was long gone. This was a private sob that no one was ever supposed to see.

Damen was stricken was pain just as his lover was. Whatever Laurent was going through hadn't personally happened to him, but it physically hurt Damen to see Laurent look that way. In his mind, his beautiful Laurent shouldn't ever have to feel such a way.

His brow was furrowed, everything welled in his face. He responded to the admonishment by desperately embracing Laurent. He hoped rid him of the torment.

"No," Damen refused, "No..." He refused again.

"Yes. I didn't stop him. I could have. I let it happen." Laurent shook all over and sobbed into Damen's chest. "I'm dirty. Unclean. How could you ever-"

"-Laurent. Look at me. You were but a boy. It is not anyone's fault but your uncles." Said Damen with soothing authority. "If anything, it's my fault." Damen said dryly with the stark comprehension. 

"You do not control the way I react." Laurent cried. Damen let Laurent cry in his arms without interruption for a full two minutes. Two agonizing minutes.

"Your uncles mind was perverted. He took advantage of a child who had no one else in the world. It had not, and will not, change the way I feel about you."

"Do you even know what you said in your sleep those nights?"

Damen paled at the thought that he might very well have caused Laurent to suffer. He felt his stomach knot with contempt for himself, wondering how he single-handedly crumbled the best defense system on the planet. He tried to guess what it could be. He was scarcely aware only of the negative feelings his dreams gave him.

"I couldn't sleep next to you. You would say , 'Laurent, I love you.'" He shook his head in disbelief. "How could you love me?" He cried.

It was a understatement for Damen to say that he sighed of relief. "I'm not sure why it happened, but we were put here together. You were meant to make me feel this way. I was meant to miss you when you leave. Fulfill you. I will do anything for you. How could I not love you? As a slave, I knew it. That you were most perilous. I counted the days until when I would fall for you."

Laurent went from convulsively weeping with a trying look of suffering, to sniffling with only a look of concern. "Meant to heal you." Damen said. He tilted Laurent's head up gently, this time it was permitted. The blond looked beautiful even in tears. "I love every part of you." Damen kissed his soft, swollen, pink lips once. " _I love you._ " Damen said, "I'm hopelessly in love with you." He refused to kiss Laurent after the confession. He wanted his king to grasp the full concept of what he declared. 

Immediately, Laurent’s cheeks blushed and he inhaled deeply. After a few moments he looked off the side, away from the eyes of Damen, and giggled softly, boyishly. In turn, Damen smiled back.

"Well?" Damen prompted, smiling.

"I maybe... love you too." Laurent's timid response.

Damen's heart skipped at the declaration. He thought of the past weeks and how secluded Laurent made him feel. How downright mean Laurent had been to him. It didn't matter anymore because Laurent loved him back. It was only understood, but now it was spoken as well.

And then they we're kissing, a few quick, closed-mouth pecks like before a goodbye in the morning. But in this situation, they felt every plush sensation of each others lips. They lingered apart, not too far, had they urged another kiss.

“Come to me should you ever feel troubled again.” Damen said.

“Yes.” Laurent looked up at Damen anew. "Let's go home." He said  
-  
-  
-

 

  
Damen pressed Laurent against the wall as soon as they returned from dinner that night. He groaned as he hit it, and reached under for the hem of Damen's chiton. Damen pulled the drawstring for the curtain to his left, now the room was shaded. He held Laurent's hips, gazing downward, pressing his pelvis into Laurent's. His erection grazed Laurent's when he finally got a handle on the chiton. In synchronization, Damen outstretched his arms and allowed for Laurent to disassemble the garment and throw it to the ground.

Laurent tilted his head allowing easier access of his neck so that Damen could kiss. The room was otherwise quiet, besides for the hot breathing and skin rubbing, making dry noises.

Laurent lead him, urging him to sit down on the mattress, and he obeyed. Laurent stood in between his legs while Damen caressed Laurent's pelvis. His hands skimmed across Laurent's pale body. They first searched the inside of Laurent's tights, on his waist, at his thighs, and then traveled to his lower back. Feeling Laurent as if he's without eyesight, slowly, tantalizing. He went to Laurent's butt and gave it a squeeze. It sent a jolt to his erection at Damen's throat.

Everything stood still when Damen wrapped his arms around Laurent's waist. He was face first, pressing his head to Laurent's abdomen. Laurent clasped around Damen's neck. and held his head close to his body. They remained in the arrangement soundlessly, for a minute or so. Then, Damen looked up, everything nose down was hidden, flushed against Laurent's body. He kissed the bone there multiple times. He tugged the tights, luckily without strings, and slid them off. Laurent's erection was comfortably close to his mouth. He grabbed it with his right hand and trailed kisses from the base to the tip so slowly. His lips were cool in comparison.

Only Laurent of Vere could receive accomplished oral sex, and yet nonchalantly unlace the frontal strings of his shirt.

When he finished with he ties, using his thumb and index, Laurent grasped Damen's chin and tilted his head up. He pushed Damen on the bed at the collarbone, and climbed atop his lover. 

There was a ampoule Laurent received from Paschal, it had the necessary oils. It was thicker and lasted longer than the oils previous.

He reached to oil himself properly before aligning Damen's cock with his entrance, and pushing down on it. Damen held Laurent steady above him as Laurent rode him in slow, extensive thrusts. He bit his lip, and moved like a serpent on Damen's hips.

Damen, below, shut eyes to benefit all sensations from the quick build up. It had been so long, each thrust felt as if he was cumming, or about to. He, with the little bit of control he had, directed Laurent's hips to his and pushed up simultaneously. It was enough to send him over the edge. Damen felt it all over his body, his climax. The sensation went to his toes and circled back around to his skull, making him a blurry-visioned, lightheaded mess. He found it extremely euphoric coming inside the deepest part of Laurent.

It was quick. He disconnected himself, and rolled himself on top of Laurent. His breathing was labored. Laurent connected his hands at the nape of Damen's neck as they were chest to chest. He gave Laurent a peck, and then an open-mouthed kiss with tongue. It was a messy and saturated kiss.

Insatiable, Damen's dick was still erect. 

He pinned Laurent's arms above his head. He slowly slid hands upward, alongside Laurent's arms, and intertwined their fingers at the top. A first for the both of them. Damen gazed into his eyes, and Laurent back at him, very near each others face.

Damen didn't think it possible for Laurent to get any redder, but he did. He smiled shyly at Damen. Damen returned to Laurent an equally shy smile. Another first for them both.

"Hold it in place." Damen instructed plainly, Laurent complied. He reached for Damen's cock and aligned it with his entrance. Damen moved forward slightly so that only the head was in. He intertwined their free hands once more and plunged the deepest, most penetrating thrust. Each time, he went further in, to where his length was completely engulfed in Laurent's supple warmness. Right as they maintained a certain level of comfort in the position, Laurent shielded those pretty blue eyes. When Damen saw this, he stopped abruptly. 

"Open." He warned, and as if he was giving a command to a soldier. Laurent's lids flew up, and Damen rewarded Laurent with a kiss on the lips, and drove into him yet again.

Over his lifetime, Damen had entrusted many of his feelings to multiple people. After each person, there was a pride that manifested. Though fairly small, it prevented him from truly ever giving himself completely to a lover. With Laurent, over time, his pride fragmented. It came so natural, he didn't think it would happen in such a way, but he lowered to Laurent's ear and told the prince words of love.

He pushed into him each time saying those three words. Laurent gasped, the expression he was a melancholic happiness. He dared not to look away. He boldly confront Damen's chestnut eyes with his own, helplessly gyrating on Damen's length. Laurent surprisingly let out a small moan of approval when Damen captured his cock and began massaging it, feeling it engorge even more. He, shamelessly and with perfect harmony, lunged into the grip of Damen's hand.

"Let me see you." Damen said as he felt Laurent's cock stiffen to its maximum potential. He moved his occupied hand to rake his fingers through the fringe of Laurent's blond bangs. He pulled back on the hair so that Laurent's head lifted upward, and his blue eyes gazed directly into his own.

Damen sensed his second orgasm. He felt that he had to see it, Laurent's face. Laurent who had given him ample pleasure only by breathing. He had to see his face when he finished.

Laurent tensed all over before letting out airy, muffled noises through his nose. "Damianos." He squinted his eyes, careful not to shut them, and thrust his pelvis into Damen's fist. He unintentionally stressed his hole to tighten comfortably around the length inside of him. Come gushed out of him in jolts, and Damen steadily jerked his ejaculating cock all the while. Laurent lost control of the orgasm, and made new sounds of which he would've normally held back. His free hand tried to claw at Damen's back, but all Damen received was light pressure from the pads of his fingertips. Laurent held on to his lover atop him still advancing and withdrawing.

Like before, Damen's head swirled beyond his control. He could focus in on the blurred lights and Laurent’s soft murmuring of encouragement. His toes curled comfortably, as he called out and emptied himself inside of Laurent.

**Author's Note:**

> I always leave off on a lemon lol.   
> I was having trouble finishing off the story until Arianwen44 on tumblr came up with the lovely headcanon of Laurent crying because of what his uncle did to him.  
> Oh yes, follow me if you like, I mostly post about all things good and yaoi.  
> mimijae.tumblr.com


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